


The One She Runs To

by Johaerys



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Broody Fenris (Dragon Age), F/M, Mutual Pining, Pirate AU, Romance, fenris blushing furiously and trying not to show it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-27 09:22:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20405398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johaerys/pseuds/Johaerys
Summary: Hawke drives Fenris mad. Her broad smile, her barking laugh, the unmistakeable warmth in her coppery eyes- they follow him wherever he goes. And there really isn't anywhere for him to go when he's on the Lady Luck. So he frowns. And he scowls. And he snaps at her, even when he shouldn't really be snapping at her, hoping that this, at least, might keep her away.But when she comes into his room in the middle of the night to ask for his help, there's truly nowhere else that he would rather be.





	The One She Runs To

**Author's Note:**

  * For [queenofkadara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofkadara/gifts), [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Where The Winds Of Fortune Take Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18862420) by [queenofkadara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofkadara/pseuds/queenofkadara), [Schoute](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schoute/pseuds/Schoute). 

> I was inspired to write this one-shot featuring [queenofkadara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofkadara/pseuds/queenofkadara)'s OTP, Fenris and Rynne Hawke, based on hers and [Schoute](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schoute/pseuds/Schoute)'s Pirate AU [Where The Winds Of Fortune Take Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18862420/chapters/44769256) . Because I just love them too damn much :'-)

Fenris shielded his eyes from the bright sunshine as he walked out onto the Lady Luck’s deck and looked around. Hawke was already waiting for him for their training session. She was leaning over the ship’s railing, gazing at the waves that crashed against its planks. The wind was flowing through her short dark hair, making the chestnut highlights in it catch the light. 

“Hawke,” he said in greeting as he approached.

A few stray strands flew in front of her face as she turned around, sticking to her lips and tangling in her long eyelashes. She smiled widely, brushing her hair away and tucking it behind her ear. “Fenris!” she exclaimed happily, hopping to his side. “I’m so glad you’re here. I made sure I was on time today.”

Her broad smile made his heart flutter in his ribcage. He frowned, folding his arms across his chest. “So you are. A pleasant change” he replied flatly.

Hawke beamed at him. “I’m so excited for our session today. I’ve been giddy since I opened my eyes this morning.”

“It’s good to get excited, but not _that_ excited. You’ll need to pay attention. Today’s lesson is very important.”

She straightened up, putting on her most serious expression. “Of course! I promise to take this extremely seriously.” Her sombreness lasted only for a moment before she gave him another bright smile and winked at him.

Fenris let out a short huff of amusement and rolled his eyes. He turned his back at her as he walked to the training weapons’ rack and picked up two blunted sparring swords. He handed her one, hilt first, and she took it eagerly.

“Alright,” he said, shifting into a sparring stance, legs parted, body facing slightly to the side. “You remember what I taught you yesterday, I hope?”

“Of course!” she replied, mirroring his movements.

“Good,” he said, appraising her posture. “Make sure your grip on the hilt is firm, but not _too_ firm. If the edge of the pommel is digging into your wrist, you know you’re clamping down too tightly. And always remember to keep a slight bend in your elbow. You want your hold on your sword to be steady, but flexible. It makes it less likely for your sword to be knocked out of your hand.”

Hawke nodded as she listened to him. Her eyes were slightly narrowed in concentration. “I’m ready.”

With his free hand, Fenris motioned for her to attack him. She lunged forward, the edge of her sword aiming for his shoulder. Fenris dodged her blow easily, stepping sideways. She brought her sword back in to catch him at his side, but he brushed it away with his blade. 

With a sharp huff, she lunged again. Another step forward, this time getting close enough for her sword to reach his flank. She slashed at him, but with one quick stroke Fenris knocked the base of her practice sword, causing it to fly right out of her hand. It fell on the wooden planks with a hollow thud.

“I told you to grip it firmly,” Fenris told her in a stern voice as she bent to pick it up.

“I did!” she said, her eyes widening in protest. “I gripped it as firmly as I could. I just didn’t expect you to…”

“Didn’t expect me to try to knock your sword out of your grasp? That’s the first thing anyone would do if you were in a fight.”

“Well, when you put it _that_ way, I guess I should have been looking out for it” Hawke said, pouting slightly. She returned to her position, her seriousness once again melting into an eager smile. “Let’s try again.”

Fenris nodded, easing into his battle stance. “Attack.”

This time, Hawke lunged at him straight on bringing her sword up, a fast and precise motion that Fenris did not expect. It was impressive, admittedly. He lifted his own blade to parry hers just as it descended towards his head. The blunted blades rang clearly across the deck as they collided. With a sharp hiss, Fenris’s blade slid forward, its edge stopping only a few inches from her eye.

Hawke blinked at him, then at the sword tip that was hovering ominously before her face. She took a step back, laughing nervously. “That was a close one.”

Fenris flexed his arm and readjusted his grip on his sword. “It was a clever move to attack me from above. But you need to put your back into it, otherwise you’re just setting yourself up for failure. I shouldn’t have been able to stop the force of your blow so easily.”

“Well, I can’t help that you’re so much stronger than me, Fenris,” she said teasingly. Her eyes glided over his shoulders and chest before they snapped back up to his face. Her smile faltered only slightly when she met his gaze. 

Fenris froze for a heartbeat. Was she just… checking him out? He felt a slight flush creeping up his cheeks. Her lips were slightly parted, and he could almost see her blood pulsing at the soft point in her neck. He tried not to think of the last time he had touched her neck, when he was showing her the best ways to kill a man. He turned around, hoping that his frown was hiding most of the treacherous heat that was blossoming on his face.

“Most people you fight will be stronger than you, Hawke,” he spat. He swung his blade along his side, which made a satisfying hiss as it cut through the air. “You just need to anticipate that in every fight.”

“I know, I know. You’re right, as always, Fenris. Let me try again. I promise I’ll surprise you this time,” she said with a mischievous grin as her body melted back into a fighting stance.

He nodded sharply, and Hawke, once again, lunged at him.

As promised, she did surprise him this time. Her blade swung around him in a flurry of quick strikes. Fenris parried each one easily, but still, it was admirable that she had managed to get the hang of using a sword after only a few practice sessions. She had a long way to go though, before she could inject into her movements the precision required to hold her own in a proper fight. Their sparring went on for a surprising amount of time before she fell back, panting.

“That’s fucking hard,” she said, leaning forward with her palms on her knees to catch her breath. “I can barely touch you with my sword.” 

Fenris tried not to let his gaze linger on the thin sheen of sweat at the dip in her collarbone. “It’s hard because you’re not focusing enough,” he said, placing himself back into position.

“I’m doing the best I can,” she protested. “I really am!”

Fenris brushed the back of his hand over his forehead. The sun shining overhead was boring down on them mercilessly. He could feel the drops of sweat arcing down his back, and the light coloured shirt he was wearing was clinging to his skin. He turned around and walked back to his starting position, thankful for the wind that blew across the deck. 

“Again, Hawke,” he said sharply before shifting to his battle stance. “And stop gawking.”

Hawke threw her head back and barked out a laugh. “How can you tell when I do that? You weren’t even looking! I certainly don’t realise when _I_ do it. You do have that effect on me,” she said with a wink.

Fenris rolled his eyes, trying to keep his face as stern as possible. He could always tell when Hawke was looking at him. It felt as if her amber gaze could see right through him.

“Attack,” he commanded. 

She knuckled her forehead and stood at attention. “Yes, sir!” she exclaimed before taking her place. She couldn’t help the gaze that drifted down towards his chest, though.

Fenris motioned at her impatiently, and she lunged at him again, but this time she must have been tired, as Fenris knocked her blade from her hand almost straightaway and lunged forward. His own sword stopped only an inch from the base of her throat.

“See that?” he said. “That is a death blow. You allow your opponent too many openings. You need to…”

His sentence was cut short when he noticed Hawke’s expression. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him, her cheeks impossibly flushed. She was panting, the fabric of the light shirt she was wearing stretching over her chest with her every breath. Her eyes slid gently over him, over the tattoos visible on his neck and chest. Her tongue darted out, pink and glistening, to lick her lips.

Her full, luscious lips. They were flushed, just as her face was flushed. The little drops of sweat on her forehead glistened in the midday sun, making her skin look luminous like polished gold. Fenris felt the unbearable urge to sweep in and brush the flat of his tongue over her lips, her perfect, raspberry lips, taste the saltiness of her skin, pull her flush against him-

Fuck, he couldn’t possibly go on like this, lusting after her like a teenager every time they trained. He cleared his throat and took a step back, lowering his sword. 

“Our training is over,” he said, bending down to pick up the sword from the floor.

Hawke’s gasp was clearly audible. “What? But we’ve only just started! I’ll pay attention this time I promise, I just need a moment to catch my breath-“

“No,” Fenris snapped, cutting her short. “Go through the stances that I’ve taught you on your own. I thought you would be ready for sparring, but you’re clearly not.”

The wounded look on her face almost made him wince. He hadn’t intended to be so harsh with her. Her eyes darted about the deck. Several people had stopped to stare at them. Piper was leaning over the railing of the quarter deck, following his every move. Fenris scowled and extended the sword to Hawke. 

“I have… work to do. Make sure you know the stances perfectly by tomorrow.”

“Fenris, I…” Hawke started, then stopped. She glanced at the weapon in his hand and nodded slowly before her hand closed over the hilt. The smile she gave him was broad. Broad enough to hide the hurt. “Of course. I’ll do as you say. You know best, after all.” 

Fenris turned around and walked away. He thought he heard her sighing as he climbed down the stairs to the inner part of the ship, but it could have been his imagination.

He hadn’t even managed to take a few steps into the relative safety of the ship, when Piper caught up to him. Of course she had watched the whole scene. Not much happened on the ship without Piper’s keen senses picking up on it immediately. Her sharp eyes took in his features, and a half smirk appeared on her scarred face.

Fenris frowned. “Is there something you want to say or are you just here to gawk at me, too?”

Piper’s grin got wider and she leaned casually on one leg. “Look, Fen, you know I want nothing more than having every one of my crew members ready to fight a battalion if need be. But are you sure this was necessary?”

Fenris scowled at her, folding his arms in front of his chest. “What exactly?”

“You know what I’m talking about. The way you snapped at Rynne, I’m surprised she didn’t tell you to sod right off. I certainly would have.”

Fenris huffed in annoyance and twisted his mouth. “She’s… she’s not paying enough attention.”

“She’s really trying though, and you know it.” Piper took a step forward, her troublemaker’s grin easing into a soft smile. “Can’t you be more gentle with her? Maybe give her a compliment from time to time? Us girls appreciate that, you know.”

Fenris felt his blush returning in full force. “A compliment?” he spat. “What do you think this is, a beauty pageant? She doesn’t need compliments. She’s had enough compliments in her life. What she needs is…” 

He hesitated. What _did_ she need? Certainly not him barking at her at every turn. He felt bad enough about yelling at her without Piper poking at the wound. 

He scowled when he realised he had uncrossed his arms and was brushing his knuckle over Hawke’s red handkerchief on his wrist. Piper glanced at it, then shot him a knowing look. Fenris let his hands fall to his sides and straightened back up. “This is how I do things,” he said decisively. “You appointed me master-at-arms for a reason. Let me do my job the way I know best.”

Piper took a step back, lifting her hands up placatingly. “Alright, alright. Don’t bite. It was merely a suggestion.” She made as if to leave, before turning back to clap him on the shoulder. “Next time you spar, make sure you point that sword a little lower. That way you’ll be able to tear her clothes off more easily.” 

Fenris could only gape at her as she hopped up the steps, her barking laugh bouncing off the walls of the narrow staircase. He let out an annoyed grunt as he turned away. 

****

He didn’t see Hawke much for the rest of the day while he worked inside the ship, neatly arranging their recently acquired cargo. Or, he should say, his efforts at avoiding her were successful. But evening came swiftly, and the crew gathered in the ship’s wide galley to have their supper.

Fenris sat in his corner, like he always did. Merrill had prepared a hearty fish stew that was quite nice, with hard ship’s biscuit to accompany it. Most evenings Fenris would have his dinner with Hawke and Piper sitting close nearby, Piper telling her usual outrageous stories and Hawke chiming in with funny comments while they both laughed their hearts out. He never really admitted it to himself, but he had come to look forward to that evening meal every day. It allowed him to spend time with Hawke in the safety that being around other people provided. He could talk without worrying about how he should act in front of her, like he did when they were alone. He could observe the corners of her eyes that creased as she laughed, that tiny, barely noticeable dimple in her cheek, the slight curve of her upper lip, without worrying about her looking at him in return. 

But that night, he sat on his own, like he usually did before Hawke joined the crew. Piper was sitting close to Cullen, teasing him and talking with him in low whispers, no doubt telling him one of her more lewd tales, judging by Cullen’s blush. Hawke, on the other hand, was sitting at the far end of the room with Dorian, Anders and Varric. Dorian must have told her something hilarious, as she tossed her head back and howled in laughter. The sound carried through the wide room, as if she were right next to him. It made his heart thrum with longing in his chest.

Anders was sitting close to her, ogling at her. Jealousy bubbled in Fenris’s veins no matter how hard he tried to stamp it out, with the way Anders looked at her, the way he leaned close to whisper something quietly in her ear.

Hawke did nothing to stop his advances, of course. He had noticed long before that she flirted with pretty much everyone. She elbowed Anders affably, and laughed again. Her eyes caught Fenris’s across the room. Her wide smile wavered for a moment, before a slower, warmer one took its place. Her piercing gaze held him fast, before Anders turned around to find what had drawn Hawke’s attention. All of a sudden, it seemed to Fenris like there was not a ship's galley, but a gulf between them. 

It was all he could take. He wolfed down the remains of his stew and walked over to the big barrel of sea water they used to clean their bowls. He washed it hastily and walked out of the room in long strides. He simply longed to be alone, in his own room. Away from Hawke’s laughter at jokes that were not his, her warm glances at people that were not… well, him. The very realisation of how sharply and painfully it bothered him irked him to no end.

He walked inside his small room and closed the door behind him. He leaned on it for a moment, taking a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he simply stared at the low ceiling of the place he had learned to call home. It was cosy, and tidy, and it felt… safe. It was odd that it suddenly looked so empty to him.

He pulled his shirt over his head with a sigh and tossed on a chair before flopping on the bed. Hawke’s face and the slow smiled that bloomed on it when she caught his gaze lingered in his memory. He brushed it away stubbornly. He was exhausted, and needed rest more than anything. It certainly wasn’t the time for useless daydreams and foolish fancies.

He soon drifted off into a light sleep. Images floated in his mind, warm and fuzzy. He was floating in space, colours warping and shifting around him, soft and indistinct. It was nice and comfortable there. He let himself relax even more, hovering in that endless sea of warmth and colour. And in that shifting, formless sea, he found her. Hawke.

She was smiling, like she always was. Her clever eyes glided over him, sparkling like diamonds in the dark. Her cheeks were flushed, a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her brow. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, making them gleam in the eerie light that surrounded them. He paused for a moment, even in his dream, wondering if he had ever beheld anyone so beautiful.

He drifted towards her, reaching out to her. His arm found its way around her back, pulling her close. With his other hand, he cupped her cheek, running his thumb over her pillowy bottom lip, caressing the line of her jaw, the curve of her chin. She closed her eyes and leaned in to his touch.

“Oh, Fenris,” she whispered, and the sound sent shivers of honey-slicked lightning down his spine. She brought her hand up and caressed his arm. In his dream, he didn’t recoil from her touch. In his dream, it felt natural. No, it felt more than natural; it felt good. So fucking good. He leaned closer, helplessly drawn to her slightly parted lips, like a moth drawn to a quivering flame.

When she shook his arm, he stopped short. He pulled back, gazing at her curiously. She looked back at him with wide eyes, and shook his arm again.

One of his eyebrows shot up in question. “Hawke, what…”

She shook him again, more urgently this time. “Wake up,” she said.

Fenris’s eyes snapped open, gazing into darkness. It took him a split second to realise that a hand was actually touching his arm. He jolted bolt upright, searching for his dagger in the dark.

“Fenris, it’s me,” he heard Hawke saying.

He froze. With fumbling fingers, he stroke a match and lit the oil lamp that he kept close to his bed. A wide-eyed Hawke, her hair still mussed up from sleep was staring at him.

He returned her startled look, his erratic pulse still pounding in his ears from the shock of his violent awakening. It was only when her eyes drifted downwards, and widened even more, that he remembered that he was half naked.

He grunted in annoyance and stood up, grabbing his shirt from his chair and pulling it hastily over his head. “What is the meaning of this, Hawke?” he growled, his voice muffled by the fabric. 

Hawke gasped, and let her eyes fall to the ground. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to barge in on you while you slept and scare you half to death. I’m really very sorry,” she said again. But when her gaze drifted back up to his chest, where the laces of his shirt where still undone, he knew that she wasn’t, really.

Fenris scowled as he fixed the shirt about his shoulders and crossed his arms in front of him. “I expect you have a good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night?”

“I do, in fact,” she said. “At least I think so.” She bit her lip, looking up at him apologetically. The pearl white bite of her teeth over the perfect raspberry of her lips drove a piercing shot of longing through him. He stomped it down tenaciously, his scowl getting ever deeper. 

“Well?” he urged her impatiently. “What is it?”

“I… Well, I… Oh, I don’t know how to say this without sounding incredibly daft.” She wrung her hands and looked away. “I think that… something may have bitten me while I slept.”

Fenris frowned at her. Either he was still hazy from sleep, or Hawke was really not making any sense. “What bit you?”

She gazed back at him. He could see now the paleness on her face and the concern in her eyes. “I don’t know what it was! I just felt a sharp sting and woke up. It might have been a spider or a scorpion or… Oh, I don’t know!” She hid her face in her hands.

Worry and affection mingled and ached in Fenris’s chest. “There are no scorpions on the ship, Hawke. Or spiders,” he said gently, letting his arms fall to his sides. “At least not the kind that bite.”

She lifted her face from her hands. There was a flicker of hope in her eyes, but it was soon overcome by her distress. “I know it sounds silly. But something bit me. I’m sure of it. I’m just…. Fuck, Fenris, I’m crawling out of my skin just now. Can you have a look at it? Please?”

Fenris almost took a step back, startled. “I’m no healer, Hawke. Why didn’t you go to Anders, or Piper at the very least? She has a chest with healing balms in her quarters.”

She swallowed nervously as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I… thought about it. But Piper sleeps with Cullen most nights. What if I walked in, and found them in a… compromising position, or…” She shook her head. “Let’s just say I didn’t want to intrude. And Anders sleeps like a log. I didn’t want to rouse the whole crew while trying to wake him.”

“So you came to me because I wake up more easily?”

She gave him an uneasy smile. “You’re a light sleeper, and quick on your feet. I know that much about you, at least.”

Fenris let out a short huff. “Fine. Let me see it so we can both get this over with.”

A wide smile of relief crossed her face. Fenris sat at the edge of the bed, and motioned for her to sit next to him. 

“Where were you bit?”

“Here, let me show you,” she said, shifting around so her back was to him. She lifted her shirt a little and lowered the waistband of her light cotton breeches just slightly. 

“That’s where I felt it. On my lower back.”

Fenris swallowed thickly as he examined her exposed skin. It was smooth and golden hued, and a part of her he had never seen before. This entire situation was… so intimate that he felt the familiar blush creeping up his cheeks again.

He took a deep breath, determined not to look any longer. “I can’t see anything.”

“There’s a bump on my skin. I can feel it. Here, let me show you.”

Fenris bristled when she took his hand, but all words were robbed from him when she placed it gently on her, guiding his fingers. 

“There,” she said. “Can you feel it?”

He didn’t speak as he lightly brushed the part she indicated. There was a tiny, noticeable bump, just as she had said, but he barely paid that any mind. Her skin was so soft and smooth, and… _fasta vass_, it felt like velvet under his fingertips. It was even better than he had imagined in his dream. Flashes of it came unbidden in his mind, making the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end. Smoothing his palm over the curves of her back, her smiling coyly up at him. Running his thumb over her soft, pliant lips, plucking the bubbling laughter from her mouth with his own. Pulling her against him as he leaned in for…

The urge to let his fingers close over the curve of her waist and pull her close to him was nigh on unbearable. With significant effort, he let his hand fall. He cleared his throat, putting some safe distance between them. “The good news is that this is no spider bite. The bad news is that there are most likely fleas in your bed.”

Hawke spun around to stare at him. Her eyes were wide with shock. “_What?_”

Fenris let out a short, amused huff. “Fleas have a way of finding themselves in places where lots of people live together in close quarters. Annoying, but relatively harmless. That being said,” he added, noticing her bewildered stare, “you should wash your bedding in hot water and take your mattress out on the deck tomorrow to air it under the sun. That should take care of them.”

Hawke scrunched her nose at that, but nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Thank you, Fenris.”

“You’re welcome, Hawke.”

She shot him a warm smile as she pushed the hem of her shirt back under the waistband of her breeches. “You know,” she said, looking away, “I lied to you before.”

Fenris frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Piper wasn’t the first person I thought of going to. Or Anders.” She lifted her gaze up to his face. “It was you.”

Fenris peered back at her, his frown deepening. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hawke went on. “It’s silly, I know. You were so angry with me this afternoon, for not following your instructions correctly. The way you frowned at me… not that it doesn’t make you look incredibly attractive, don’t get me wrong,” she said, winking at him and earning a deeper scowl from him, “but still. I didn’t want to trouble you any more than I had today. Yet when I felt that sting as I slept, I was terrified. I couldn’t think of what to do for the life of me. And then I thought of you.” She paused for a moment, then let out a soft, quiet chuckle. “Even when you’re mad at me, you’re still the one I run to, it seems.”

Her eyes fixed themselves on him, with an intensity that stole the air from his lungs. He gaped at her for a long moment, lost for words. His throat had suddenly gone dry as parchment. He should probably say something, he realised, or the silence that stretched between them would swallow him whole. 

“I’m sorry I yelled at you today,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “It was uncalled for. You’re trying your best, and I’m…”

“No, no, it’s alright,” she said cheerfully, waving her hand in a soothing gesture. “You were right to. I was indeed distracted. But I practiced for hours after you left. Hopefully I’ll do better during tomorrow’s session. I really want to show you what I’ve learned.”

He gazed at her, then, in the silence of his small cabin. For a heartbeat, she felt as naturally a part of his space as he did. The side of her face was painted amber by the dancing lamp light, her whiskey-coloured eyes glowed like embers in the half dark. Her lips were curled in a smile, one of those slow, tender ones, that seemed to be meant just for him. At that moment, he was certain. She really was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. 

“I look forward to it, Hawke,” he said softly, returning her smile with one of his own.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhh I hope you liked it!
> 
> Here you can find the fic writer of my heart, the one and only [pikapeppa](https://pikapeppa.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> And here you can find the insanely talented [Schoute](https://schoute.tumblr.com/). Go check out her amazing art and squeal with me over the gorgeousness that is her OC Piper Lavellan <3
> 
> I'm [JohaerysLavellan on Tumblr](https://johaeryslavellan.tumblr.com/). Come say hi :3


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